Dragonborn
by CrazyNorwegian
Summary: He turned around quickly. Emerald eyes met ocean blue, and Loki suddenly realized, that he had just laid his eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Loki/OC
1. Prologue

_Legends tell of the Dragonborn. Powerfull aesir, that had the ability to change into fierce dragons, aiding the armies of Asgard in battle._

_Winged creatures, breathing fire and ice, they where as much feared by their enemies, as they where praised by the aesir._

_The birth of a Dragonborn was rare, as only a selected few carried the gene. And when Raeven, the last of the Dragonborn was killed in battle, the line was broken, leaving the Dragonborn to fade into legends and memories, thought never to be seen again..._

Rain was pouring heavily on the rooftops of Asgard. Thunder could be heard rolling in the distance, and the wind was howling through the buildings. Dark clouds covered the usual clear and starry skies, of the realm eternal.

Down an empty cobblestoned street in the outskirts of the golden city, a young, dark haired woman was running barefoot through the heavy rain, carrying a small baby, wrapped in a blanket.

She came to a halt in front of the worn, wooden door of an old stone house, and startet to frantically pound it, hoping the resident in the house would hear, through the foul weather.

After what seemed like hours, the door opened and revealed an elderly woman, with pale skin, grey hair and kind, blue eyes. Upon seeing the dark haired woman, standing drenched to the skin, her eyes widened and her jaw fell open.

"Amira, what in the Nine Realms are you doing outside in weather like this? Has something happened? Hurry, come inside!" she ushered the younger woman inside, and quickly shut the door.

"I am afraid I have to deliver heartbreaking news to you, Eri. Reia's sickness became to much for her, she gave birth to her child tonight, but her body could take no more. Eri, she is dead…" Amira said with a low voice, her eyes, red from crying, looked to the floor.

Eri gasped, and put a hand over her mouth, tears welling in her eyes. Amira held out the bundle in her arms, for Eri to take.

"This is her daughter, your grandchild, I ask that you take care of her, for I cannot. Reia was alive long enough to tell med what name she had girl's name is Tharyin…"

Eri took the child with shaking hands, and pulled aside the blanket, revealing a perfect, newborn girl, with blue eyes, the shade of the deep ocean, and fire red hair. The child was beautiful, in every meaning of the word, and she looked so much like her passed mother, it made Eri's heart ache even more. But she would do this for her daughter, she would raise this child, and love her, like she had loved Reia.

With teary eyes, she looked to Amira, her daughters best friend, and spoke with a trembling voice. "Thank you, Amira. I will take care of her now, you may go…"

"Blessings be with you both, Eri. I am so sorry for your loss…"

Eri only nodded.

Amira headed slowly for the door, and opened it, looking out in the raging storm. When she was halfway out the door, she stopped and turned back, looking at the baby in Eri's arms.

"Eri, I should probably tell you… She bears _the_ _mark_. The mark of the dragons…"


	2. Chapter 1

**So, first chapter! This is my first fanfiction ever, and I'm really excited about it. I'm not sure if I'm going to follow the movie or create my own little universe... Hmm, guess we'll see:) Since I rarely have time to sit for hours and write, having a job, 2 horses and a kid to take care of, I can't promise you that I will update very often, but I will work on this story as often as I can. Also, english is not my first language, so please forgive any spelling mistakes. Oh, and reviews might help me write a little faster:)**

Loki was in a terrible mood. He was stomping through the great halls of the palace, wearing fresh bruises and a few cuts, from his latest sparring game with hos brother. Once more he had become the laughing stock of Sif and The Warriors, down at the training grounds. Even his brother had made a few joking comments about his ridiculous loss. He had promised himself to stop agreeing to these hopeless sparring games, but every time he would deny, Thor, Sif or one of The Warriors, would make a comment on him being afraid of physical combat, and Loki was no coward.

So once again, in an effort to save his pride, he had agreed to challenge his big brute of a brother, Thor, and once again, he had been ridiculously outmatched, and his attempt to save his pride and dignity, had only succeeded in damaging it further. Loki was no warrior, he was a sorcerer, and took great pride in his magical abilities. But unfortunately, magic was not something that was highly regarded on Asgard. Loki was lean, and although he was very fit and tall, he was far from as massive and strong as other Asgardians. Even Lady Sif had defeated him in sparring games.

When Loki had taken up magic, which was something that came very natural to him, the other warriors had laughed and joked, saying magic was for the weak, and no real honor in battle would come from the use of magic. This had always angered Loki. When he was too weak to handle the heavy swords and battle axes effectively, why could he not make use of his talent?

Loki loved to use his magic, often playing tricks on others for his own amusement. Turning the guards bread in to small birds, and laugh at them, when they in confusion watched their lunch fly out the window, or turning Fandrals wine into snakes, making the blond warrior drop his goblet and leap backwards in surprise. He even went as far as changing Sif's beautiful blonde hair black, and then claim he did not know how to change it back. She has yet to forgive him for that.

He also had a way with words. A sharp tongue and brilliant mind, that had talked himself and his brother out of trouble more times than he could count.

Qualities like these, earned him the nicknames Trickster and Silvertongue, something he was fine with, really. It was at least better than always being refered to as "the second son" or just "Thor's little brother".

And now the dark haired prince was walking angrily to his chamber, cursing himself yet again, for accepting Thor's challenge. He reached the doors to his chamber, pulled them open, stepped inside and slammed them shut, just for good measure. He stood with his back against the doors for a while, breathing heavily, dragging a hand through his disheveled raven hair, trying to calm himself and find a way to pull his thoughts away from the recent humiliation. His emerald eyes searched the room for anything of interest, and quickly landed on the book on his nightstand, the one he had started reading last night.

He thought for a few seconds, before turning his eyes to the open balcony, looking at the sunny weather outside. It was many hours before dark, maybe he should take his book, and go to one of the nearby meadows, to sit and read in quiet, for a while. Yes, he should do that.

He took of his battle gear, that he had worn for the sparring game, and went to a nearby mirror, to look at the newly formed bruises on his pale skin. _Not too bad, _he thought. A palm sized bruise was forming on the left side of his ribs, and a few small ones over his chest. He also had a small cut over his nose, and one over his right brow. Concentrating, he focused his energy on the small cuts and bruises, and faintly smiled, as his magic sped up his healing, and the wounds and blue marks faded before his eyes, leaving only light, smooth skin. He took a minute to look at his torso, excamining himself. Skinny, although he had lean muscles, but completely lacking the impressive, bulky frame of Thor. Long, slender arms and almost feminine hands(at least compared to his ox of a brother). Shaking his head in dissapproval, he used his magic to quickly dress himself in his usual black and green tunic, with black pants and boots. He walked over to his bed, grabbed his book and left the room, heading for the meadow.

It was a nice day to be outside. The comfortable, warm weather, and blue sky lightening his bad mood. The walk to his favorite meadow was not that long, and allowed him to stretch his muscles, that where still a bit sore from the match with Thor.

He loved this place. Few ever came here, so he was almost guaranteed to be left in peace. The meadow was not that large, but it was laying on a hill, and it's highest point would give you a clear view of the beautiful, glittering sea that surrounded Asgard. The grass was perfectly green, and tiny blue flowers where growing in small groups, that where scattered across the meadow.

He walked over to a nearby tree, and sat down with his back against its trunk. He took one more look over the meadow to make sure that no one else was there, pulled out his book, and started to read.

He sat there, leaned against the tree, for what must have been hours, completely absorbed in his book. His usually keen senses failed to hear the soft footsteps that approached him from behind, and he nearly jumped out of his skin, when he heard a female voice behind him.

"A beautiful day to go outside and read, is it not, My Prince? I was actually planning to do some outside reading myself, right here on this very spot, but it seems you have beaten me to it"_  
_

He turned around quickly. Emerald eyes met ocean blue, and Loki suddenly realized, that he had just laid his eyes on the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.


	3. Chapter 2

**"_Life dies inside a person, when there are no others willing to befriend him. He thus gets filled with emptiness and a non-excistent sense of self-worth"_**

**_- Mark R.J Lavoie -_**

"W-who are you?" Loki stammered in surprise, silvertongue suddenly forgotten. He rose quickly from his seat against the tree, snapped the book shut and turned to face the unfamiliar woman.

"I am terribly sorry for startling you, it was not my intention, My Lord" she said with an apologizing look, though a small smile played on her lips. He stood for a moment looking at her. He had never seen her around the palace, so she was obviously not the daughter of a court member. Her simple, but pretty, light blue, cotton dress indicated she lived in the outskirts of the golden city, where people actually had to work for their fortune.

She was very feminine, but looked far from fragile. The dress was hugging her upper body close, and revealed a strong build, similar to that of Lady Sif. Loki thought that strange, since this woman probably never had any formal battle training. Her face was perfectly shaped, with a light tan, flawless skin and full lips. Her almond shaped eyes had the color of the deep blue sea, and her long, thick, wavy hair was falling softly over her shoulders, reaching almost to her lower back. It had a deep red color, and in the late afternoon light, it looked almost like fire. Beautiful wasn't even the right word to describe this woman. Sure, some of the women of court where beautiful, with their fancy dresses and pretty make up. But they never seemed real to Loki. Like if you would put them in simple clothing, take of their make up and let their hair loose from whatever stylish creation it was braided in, they would simply fade to the background.

This woman did not need any of that to look stunning.

"My Lord?"

Loki snapped back from his thoughts, and suddenly wondered how long he had been standing there looking at her like a fool.

"You did not startle me", Loki quickly said, feeling like an idiot just as the words slipped from his tongue.

She only smiled playfully at him and nodded. "So, what where you reading?" she asked, and gestured to the book in his hand.

Loki looked at the book, and shrugged. He was suddenly reminded that he had asked her a question, and she had not yet answered. this woman obviously had some nerve, for not immediately answering a prince of Asgard. "I recall asking you, who you are, only moments ago. I would consider it lack of respect should you not answer my question" he said, in a slightly irritated voice, causing the smile on her lips to falter a little. Just because she was beautiful, did not mean she could treat him with disrespect.

"Of course, please forgive my rudeness. My name is Tharyin." she quickly answered, and looked somewhat ashamed, that she had forgotten to treat roalty with proper respect.

He studied her again, while trying to remember having heard her name anywhere, but he could not recall it. "Who are your parents, and where do you live?" he asked.

A flash of sadness passed over her eyes, before she looked at him again. "My mother, Reia Bjornsdottir, passed away the night I was born. Some unknown sickness. My father is not known... She never spoke of him to anyone. I guess she was ashamed that she had gotten pregnant outside a marrige... I was raised by my grandmother, Eri, in one of the old houses in the edge of the city. She is a seamstress, and owns her own shop. I help her out there.. We don't have much, but we get by, and as long as I have roof over my head, good food and people that love me, I am content" she gave a small smile.

Loki nodded, satisfied with her answer, and a bit surprised about her being so straight forward about her living situation. But maybe she really didn't mind the fact that she didn't have much.

He then caught sight of the book in her hand, and remembered that she had said, she too came here to read. He looked to the spot he had just been sitting absorbed in his book, and motioned for her to sit, before he spoke again. "I should be heading back. I have already taken up much of your time, my lady", he said politely before giving a slight bow, and starting to walk away before she could reply. As much as he wanted to talk to this woman more, he knew she would have little interest in him. The women always wanted Thor, and Loki had been pushed into his brother's shadow to many times to count, when it came to interaction with women. And they all seemed to prefer Thor's company above Loki's. Surely, this woman would be no different.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Prince Loki", she said before he was out of earshot, but he pretended not to hear, and kept walking in the direction of the palace, ignoring the urge to turn around, and look at her again. He thought for a second, that he liked the way his name sounded from her lips, but quickly shook the thought from his head.


	4. Chapter 3

_****_**Yay, I'm getting followers! And to those of you, who reveiwed, THANK YOU! Getting reviews really make my day, and encourage me to write faster:) Still struggling a bit, to write long chapters. But I hope quick updates, make up for that:) I promise I will try to make the next chapter a bit longer. Currently working on a drawing of Tharyin as well, and I will of course upload it here, once I'm finished. Stay tuned!**

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_**And I don't want the world to see me**_

_**'Cause I don't think that they'd understand**_

_**When everything's meant to be broken**_

_**I just want you to know who I am**_

**-Iris, by Goo Goo Dolls**

Tharyin watched the young prince of Asgard walk away, not taking her eyes away before he had vanished from her sight.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why can you never hold your tongue, Tharyin? You KNEW he was one of the princes, and yet you sneak up on him like that, scare him half to death, and then proceed to almost mock him?! _Tharyin mentally slapped herself, before she let out a frustrated sigh, and slumped down onto the ground, on the same spot Loki had just been sitting.

She took out a hair tie, and pulled her long, red hair into a pony tail, fastening it at the nape of her neck. She looked out across the meadow, and onto the horizon in the distance. The sun was beginning to set, it was late mid-day. She had originally come out here, hoping to read another chapter in her book, before dark, but all thoughts of reading had been forgotten when she had come across the young prince. She had seen him for brief moments, a couple of times in the past, but never up close, and she had never thought she would meet him in person, so her curiosity had gotten the better of her, and she had completely forgotten her manners.

Sighing one more time, she threw her head back, and into the tree she was leaning against, and gave herself another mental scolding.

She closed her eyes, and thought back to the past times, she had caught a few glimpses of Prince Loki. She understood why some called him "the Dark Prince of Asgard". He was completely different from his older brother, from what she had seen of him. Thor was loud, and always made his presence known. Tall and broad, with golden hair, and a constant smile on his face, he was by far the favorite prince of Asgard, and almost every young woman in the entire realm was drooling over him. Even Tharyin admitted he was a treat to the eyes.

Loki, on the other hand, was pale and dark haired. Shy and quiet, at least in public. Always seen standing behind his brother, in his shadow. She had never heard any of her friends talk about him, like they talked about Thor, and she had to admit, she had never paid much attention to him, on the rare occasions when he and his brother had been nearby. But now that she had met him, face to face, she realized, that just because he was different from his brother, didn't mean he was not as good.

It was clear that he was very intelligent, and probably never missed anything that went on, around him(_except when he was absorbed in a book..._). He was very well spoken, and although he had been briefly irritated with Tharyin, she had the feeling that it was more a defence mechanism to avoid being laughed at, than anything else. Being who he was, with a brother like Thor, couldn't be easy. When she had spoken to him, she had completely lacked the feeling of being in the presence of someone with high autority. He obviously lacked confidence in himself, and his voice was soft and comfortable, in comparison to the loud booming of Thor or King Odin.

And although he did not have the extremely masculine features of his brother, he was very handsome, and she had never seen greener eyes in her entire life. Tharyin shook her head, and opened her eyes. Thinking about the prince like this, would do her no good. It was unlikely that she would meet him again, and if she would, she could never befriend him, because that could possibly reveal her secret... And she did not want that.

Her face fell a little, and she opened her right hand, to look at the strangely shaped mark in her palm, it resembled a dragon, if you looked closely, and used your imagination a little. Very few people knew the meaning of this mark, and those who didn't, only thought it to be a burn, or just a very strange birth mark. _If someone knows what the mark means, it has to be the royal family... I have no desire to fight in battles, but should anyone learn the truth about me, I fear I would have no choice._

Tharyin frowned, before she got up, and dusted of her dress, before starting to walk back home. Her grandmother was probably ready with their supper now...


	5. Chapter 4

**A drawing of Tharyin is now linked on my profile(I hope it works). **

**I'm happy to see that this story is getting more followers:) But I'm still missing reviews! I would be really happy if you could tell me your thoughts, and what you want to happen in the following chapters:) Do I need to improve some things? And also: Yes! I finally managed to write a fairly long chapter!**

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_**I'm out on the edge, and I'm screaming my name**_  
_**Like a fool, at the top of my lungs**_  
_**Sometimes when I close my eyes, I pretend I'm alright**_  
_**But it's never enough**_

_**'Cause my echo, echo**_  
_**Is the only voice coming back**_  
_**Shadow, shadow**_  
_**Is the only friend that I have**_

**- Echo, by Jason Walker - **

* * *

_2 months later_

It was early afternoon, the sun had just started to set, but it was still warm, and people where milling in the streets of Asgard. The rythmic clicking of a horses hooves on cobblestone, was heard through the streets of the lower part of Asgard.

Tharyin was riding home through the city, on her dapple grey stallion, Hrani. He had been a gift from her grandmother years ago. She had gotten him when he was just a foal, and trained him herself. He was her best friend and a good horse, always doing his very best to please his master.

Now, Tharyin had just returned from a short, but successful huntingtrip, two pheasants hanging from her saddle. Rounding a corner, she suddenly saw a large man, dragging a young boy out from a bakery by the hair, and throwing him onto the streets. She recognized the man as Bjorn, a local baker. He was quite known for his frightening temper.

"YOU LITTLE THIEF!" Bjorn shouted, towering over the cowering boy on the ground. The boy was obviously poor, much poorer than Tharyin and her grandmother, wearing worn, cheap clothes. His brown hair was messy, his face dirty and he wore no shoes. In his arms he was clutching a piece of bread, presumably the stolen item. His hands where shaking, as the large man stood over him, shouting curses at him.

A heartbreaking cry startled Tharyin, and a woman with similar features to the boy, rushed past her and Hrani, and pushed through the now growing crowd of people, around the shouting baker, and the boy on the ground. "Aidan! What have you done?!" she screamed, and threw herself on the ground next to the boy, and put her arms protectively around him. She was obviously his mother.

"This little rat stole a piece of freshly baked bread!" shouted the furios baker. "He will be flogged for this, I will make sure of it!"

"NO! Please don't! He was just hungry, we don't have any food, nor money. Here, you can have the bread back! And I will get you money to make up for the trouble!" the woman pleaded, while taking the bread from her son's hands, and giving it to the man. He just looked at it, and tossed it on the ground.

"I cannot sell something a filthy, little rat, like that has touched! It is only suitable for pigs food now! And how can you possibly provide me with the amount of money that will satisfy me, when you cannot even afford to buy a piece of bread?" the last words, clearly a mocking tone.

He turned to tall, bearded man standing behind him. "Bring me a whip! And someone take that woman away!" he pointed to the boy's mother.

The woman's eyes windened, and filled with tears, her grip on her son tightening. "No! Please! I will get you money, I swear!" But two men grabbed her arms, and pulled her away form the boy. Another man gripped her son, ripped of his dirty, brown shirt, and held him with his back towards Bjorn, who now had a large whip in his rigth hand. He cast a glance to the boy's mother, who was thrashing and screaming to get to her son, and gave a small smile.

Tharyin could tell this was not going to end well, and seeing as no one else was going to interfere, and stop this madness, she just had to do it herself. She had always been stupidly brave, and cared more for the wellbeing of others, than herself. And she was most definitly not going to stay behind, and watch a young boy being punished for so small a crime.

She dug her heels in Hrani's sides, and the horse leaped forward. When she arrived at the scene, she had to brake him down to a trot, to avoid him running someone down. She steered him straight into the crowd, pushing people away. "STOP!" she screamed, just as Bjorn was to make the first strike.

His arm stilled in the air, and he glanced up at her, where she was sitting on her tall, grey horse. She looked fierce, clad in a brown tunic, dark, tightfitting pants and black leather boots. She wore fingerless leather gloves, and her long, fire red hair, that usually flowed free over her shoulders, was fastened in a thick braid, running down her back. She carried a quiver with a few arrows, and a bow, though homemade, it was a fine weapon. A long hunting knife, was fastened in her belt.

She looked at Bjorn with blazing eyes, and a hard expression. "Are you so unforgiving, that you have to torture a starving boy for trying to quell his hunger?!" she hissed.

Shock flickered over the large man's face, quickly replaced by more anger. He did not expect anyone in the crowd to stop him, least of all a young woman.

"It is not torture, it is just punishment! He cannot pay for the bread, and decides to take it, he should be punished! He can only be glad that I am merciful enough, to not cut of one of his hands!"

"Here..." Tharyin drew out her knife, and in a swift motion she cut the strings securing the two, large pheasants, and threw them roughly to Bjorn's chest. "These should cover the bread, as well as make up for this little inconvenience."

The man was about to protest, but held his tongue, and thought about the offer. Pheasants were a delicacy, and compared to pork meat and beef, it was expensive. He could sell these birds for a very good price, and he had to admit to himself, he needed the money.

Taking one last, hard look at the boy and his mother, he turned to Tharyin again, and pointed the end of the whip at her. "I will let this pass this once, but if I EVER see this boy or his mother anywhere near my bakery, I will not be merciful again.." he hissed, venom dripping from his voice. Then he turned on his heels, and strode into the bakery with the two pheasants in hand. Tharyin glared daggers at his back, until he was out of sight, before she turned around.

The crowd quickly started to scatter, continuing with whatever tasks they where doing before this incident. The boy's mother got to her feet, and ran over to her son, holding him tight, stroking his hair. She looked up at Tharyin with teary eyes. "Thank you so much, if I can ever repay this..."

"No need for that. I was only doing what everyone else should have done..."she smiled faintly at the woman. "I suggest you take the bread, and be on your way, before Bjorn changes his mind..."

The woman nodded, and grabbed the bread, before scrambling to her feet, taking her son's hand and quickly walked from the scene.

Tharyin sighed, a bit irritated at the loss of her catch, but still... She wasn't starving, so she shouldn't really complain._  
_

Before she could start on her way home, she was interrupted by a smooth, familiar voice.

"Now, THAT was quite impressive"

She looked to her left, and saw none other than Prince Loki himself, sitting on a dark bay horse, grinning at her. "I must admit, I never expected to see you again, at least not so soon. It seems you are skilled at far more than just helping your dear grandmother sew dresses".

Tharyin only stared at him, with wide eyes. He was wearing very casual, dark clothes, and a long black coat, the only thing that could make you think of him as royalty was his signature, golden breastplate. Tharyin thought he looked a bit different now, than last time she saw him. He seemed more at ease, and he was actually smiling. _And what a beautiful smile_ she thought to herself. Determined not to make a fool of herself, once again, she walked Hrani up to him and bowed her head respectfully. "My Lord. How long have you been here?"

"A while. And before you accuse me of just standing here and watch a young boy getting flogged, I WAS intending to interfere, but it seems you beat me to it" he gave a playful smile. Tharyin instantly recalled her words, when she first approached him in the meadow, and she smiled back at him.

She was actually surprised that he remembered. Their conversation last time, only lasted for a few minutes, and she didn't expect him to remember her at all. But clearly, the young prince had a good memory.

"Well, I did not see anybody else about to stop the madness, that baker is known for a terrible temper, and I have heard he has some very violent tendencies, so I assume people were afraid to get in his way"

"But not you? You were not scared that he would harm you?" Loki asked, a slightly worried expression on his face.

"I was terrified. But there is not a single speck of self-presevation in my body." she gave a small laugh. "I have a rather strong tendency to put myself in harms way, not because I don't care about what happens to me, I just do the first thing that comes to mind when someone is in danger, and in this case it was to confront a huge, angry, violent man". she gave a sheepish smile.

Loki raised his eyebrows, and gave her an amused look, before he smiled. "You are a very curious woman. Tharyin, that is your name, if I remember correctly?"

"Yes, that is correct, My Pr-..."

Loki raised his hand and smiled. "Please, just call me Loki"

This caught Tharyin by surprise. The royal family was highly respected, you never, EVER, called them by something else than their title, not unless you knew them personally, at least. But Tharyin wasn't about to argue with the prince. If he told her to call him by his name, then that is what she would do.

"As you wish, Loki" she said, and gave him a warm smile, while petting Hrani's neck. Although she did not know him in the least, there was something that felt so good about being around him. He had this calm aura, and he seemed genuinely interested when he asked her a question. But maybe he was just being polite. Tharyin didn't think she could possibly be of any interest to him.

"So" Loki started, and looked around. "Are you on your way home?"

"Yes, I am, or I was. My grandmother is probably ready with dinner soon. I have to get up early tomorrow, and go out hunting again, if I want to avoid buying meat for dinner... Not that I CAN'T afford to buy anything, but I avoid it as long as I have to"

Loki only smiled. He couldn't possibly understand what it was like to not be able to buy whatever you needed, or wanted, being who he was. But he didn't seem to pity her, he probably knew she would not respond well to that. Tharyin had already told him that she lived a good life, with what little she had.

She suddenly caught Loki staring at Hrani. And she understood why. He was a fine horse, well bred, and strong. He was worth much more than Tharyin wold ever have, and she knew that.

"This is a very beautiful horse. Where did you get him?" he said, while walking his own horse in a circle around Hrani, to inspect him better.

"He was given to my grandmother as payment by a man, for a wedding dress she made for his wife. He was just a foal then. Clearly the one that gave him to her, had no idea what he was worth... She gave him to me, and we have been together ever since. He is very dear to me" She stroked the stallions neck.

"I can see that, and he seems to be fond of you to" Loki smiled, and reached out a hand to pet Hrani's head. Tharyin was about to protest, Hrani usually didn't like being touched by strangers. But before she could say anything, Hrani leaned into Loki's touch, and closed his eyes while the prince rubbed his forehead.

Tharyin was obviously not the only one that found Loki comfortable to be around.

Loki withdrew his hand, and turned his green gaze to the redhead again. For a few moments, he just looked at her, as if he was thinking of what to say.

"So, My Lady, would you do me the honor of letting me follow you home?" his voice suddenly lacked the confidence it had before, and his expression changed, he looked almost nervous, as he waited for her answer. Was he afraid that she would reject him?

Tharyin gave him a warm smile, and nodded. "It would be a pleasure, and please, call me Tharyin".


	6. Chapter 5

**Woho, another chapter! And this story has gotten more followers:D **

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It was five days since Loki had followed Tharyin home.

On the way to her home they had talked quite a lot. Loki found that Tharyin was easy to talk to, she was very interested in what he had to say, and paid close attention when he talked. Never once trying to interrupt him, which was something he was unused to. If he was trying to explain something to his brother or his "friends", they would constantly interrupt him, as if he wasn't worth listening to.

But Tharyin listenened to everything he said, not out of respect because he was a prince, but because she wanted to. And she had been open about herself and her life, honestly answering his every question. She had a good sence of humour, and loved to laugh. She nearly fell out of the saddle from laughing a few times, when Loki had told her some of the pranks he had played on his brother, Sif and The Warriors Three. But what made her laugh the most, to Loki's satisfaction, was his description of Sif's reaction, when he had turned her hair black.

The whole way to her house, he found it difficult to stop staring at her. Her face was so alive, never expressionless, and her soft voice was almost enchanting. When they reached her home and said goodbye, he had taken her gloved hand and placed a kiss to it. She had given him a warm smile, and said she hoped they would meet again, before she dismounted her stallion, and led the horse behind the house, to the stable.

In the days that followed, Loki found himself thinking about her more and more. She had been such refreshing company, once she got over her fear to say something wrong or stupid in his royal presence, and she treated him like an equal.

Now Loki was sitting in a corner of the library, enjoying the silence, and trying to read a book, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the beautiful redhead.

Suddenly the doors of the library slammed open, and Loki nearly fell of his chair in surprise.

"BROTHER!"

_Oh, by the Norns! What does he want now…_

Thor strode towards Loki, with a beaming smile on his face. "You have been sitting in this dusty library with your nose in those old books far too long, brother! You need some fresh air. Come, join us on a hunt!"

Loki opened his mouth to protest, Thor cut him of, that stupid smile still on his face. "I will not take no for an answer. I will remain here and pester you, until you agree to come with us!"

The dark haired prince sighed and rolled his eyes, while he clapped his book shut. "Fine. But only because you give me no choice, brother…"

Thor's smile grew even wider and he laughed, while giving Loki a hard clap on the shoulder, making the younger god wince. "That's the spirit, Loki. Now come, the others are waiting!" Thor turned around, and walked out of the library.

Loki slowly got up, and went to follow Thor, using his magic to switch his clothes into something more suitable for hunting, as he walked.

When he arrived outside, Thor, Sif and The Warriors Three had already mounted their horses. One of the stablehands was holding the reins of his brown stallion, Ari.

"So Loki, you decided to join the world of the living?" Sif smiled mockingly at him. "It looks like it is about time, you are looking awfully pale"

Loki grabbed Ari's reins, and narrowed his eyes at Sif, while mounting his horse. "I think I'm getting tired of looking at your black hair, Lady Sif. Maybe I should switch it to blue instead, that would be a sight to behold".

Sif was a about to reply, but thought better of it and snapped her mouth shut, only glared daggers at him instead.

"So Thor, who do you think will be the first to catch a boar today?" Fandral asked, a very enthusiastic smile on his face.

"Are you challenging me on a hunt, my good Fandral?" Thor boomed, grinning widely.

" I believe I am, my friend! But it will not be much of a challenge, seeing as I am a far better hunter than you!"

Thor laughed loudly, and clapped Fandral on the back. We shall see, Fandral! We shall see!"

And then the party rode out, Thor in the lead on his white horse, followed by Fandral and the rest of the warriors. Loki fell behind, a not to pleased expression on his face.

_Please, let this day be over quickly..._

* * *

They had tracked down a boar shortly after entering the forest, and the scared beast was now running for its life, with six horses close behind. Thor and Fandral were racing side by side, trying to manuever their horses through the thick forest, and at the same time, not lose sight of the boar. As they reached an open field, Thor saw his opportunity and urged his horse faster, while pulling out his bow, and ready an arrow. He quickly caught up with the animal, and released the arrow, hitting the animal straight thorugh the heart, killing it instantly. The boar crashed to the ground, and the six riders pulled their horses to a stop.

Thor dismounted his horse, and gave a triumphant laugh, while walking towards his kill.

"And you were saying what, exactly Fandral?"

Fandral was about to reply, when a loud, deep growl sounded from the forest. The ground was shaking, and trees were breaking. Something big was coming. Loki quickly rode up to his brother.

"Thor, we need to leave. NOW"

As he said the final word, not only one, but two large bilgesnipes came to view. More than 20 feet tall, with huge antlers on their heads, and dark gray scales covering their body. Enormous heads, and razorsharp teeth. Large paws, with long claws that could easily tear flesh from bone.

Thor reached for Mjolnir, only to remember that he had not brought it along. None of them had brought any weapons, other than those they needed for the hunt. They were going to pay the prize for that now...

"Thor, get on your horse. We are not prepared for a fight" Loki said, his voice very low and sligthly nervous.

The two bilgesnipes suddenly roared, and lunged for them. Thor spun around and jumped on his horse, not waiting for his feet to find the stirrups, before he dug his heels in the horse's sides, and his horse leaped forward, at the same time the others started running. They rode full speed toward the forest, the ground shaking from the enormous beasts that followed them. Unfortunately bilgesnipes were a lot faster than they looked, and quickly caught up with them.

The first bilgesnipe used its head to knock Volstagg's horse over, sending the horse and rider flying, hitting the ground violently. Volstagg's black horse was killed instantly, but Fandral managed to get to his feet, and started running.

The second, and slithly larger bilgesnipe jumped in front of Loki, and swiftly turned around, using it's long tail to knock the rider from his horse. Once Loki was on the ground, the beast moved for him fast, ready to finish it's prey. The dark haired prince scrambled to his feet, trying to get away, but the bilge snipe was too fast, and managed to hit him with one large paw, knocking the breath out of him, as he was crushed to the ground. Trapped beneath the creature, he had no way to escape, and could only watch as the giant monster prepared to rip him apart.

Loki heard Thor scream his name, but he was to far away. There was nothing any of them could do...

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and prepared himself for the pain. But it never came.

Another roar was heard, different from the deep rumble of the bilgesnipes. It was higher, and more ear piercing.

The weight on Loki's body suddenly vanished, and he felt the ground shake, as the bilgesnipe crashed to the ground. He snapped his eyes open, and got to his feet. His heart nearly stopped at the scene before him.

A dragon, an actual dragon, was standing over the bilgesnipe, holding it down. It was as big as the bilgesnipe, greyish blue scales covered its heavily muscled body. A nicely shaped head, with deep blue eyes and two long horns curved backwards at the back of its head. The tail was long and powerful, and it had huge wings, covered in what resembled feathers, the same color as its scales.

The bilgesnipe had been caught by surprise, but suddenly started trashing under the weight of the dragon, and a violent wrestling match unfolded. Both beasts fighting to find a weak spot to attack. Loki didn't even notice Thor running up to him, his eyes were glued to the two creatures fighting.

Getting frustrated by not being able to use its strenght to push the opponent of it, the bilgesnipe clawed at the dragon with all it's might, but it was useless against the winged creature's hard scales. Suddenly the dragon gripped the bilgesnipes antlers with it's front legs, and pushed the monster's head roughly to the ground. The dragon was obviously stronger.

The bilgesnipe kicked and screamed, starting to panic, but suddenly the dragon twisted it's grip on the antlers, and they heard a sickening crunch as the bilgesnipe's body went limp. The dragon had snapped the monsters neck.

Thor and Loki whipped their heads around and took a few steps backwards, when they heard the other bilgesnipe roar. It had been occupied with trying to get to Sif and The Warriors Three, where they had scrambled as far in as they could behind some huge, thick trees, but know it was charging full speed towards the dragon.

The winged beast barred its teeth, and gave a low growl, preparing to fight. But suddenly it raised it's head, drew it's breath and released a huge flame towards the bilgesnipe. Thor and Loki were standing almost 80 feet away, but the heat was so intense, it felt like their skin would melt.

The air was filled with the smell of burning flesh, and they could hear the bilgesnipe scream in agony as it burned.

When dragon stopped, and the fire dissappeared, the only thing that was left of the scaled monster, was smoking skin and bone.

Thor and Loki tore their gaze away from the remains of the bilgesnipe, and looked to the dragon. It was staring straight at them. Loki's green eyes met the dragons blue ones, and for a second he thought he saw something.

_There is something familiar with those eyes..._

But then the dragon looked away, spread it's massive wings, and with one big stroke it lifted its muscular body of the ground, and quickly dissappeared over the trees, leaving the two princes of Asgard speechless and wide eyed.

* * *

**To those who wonder: Yes, I based the dragon on Saphira from the movie Eragon, because she is beautiful! Please review, and tell med what you think!**


	7. Chapter 6

It was dark by the time the six Asgardians arrived at the palace, all of them tired and bruised. Frigga had seen them coming from where she was standing on a balcony, and came running towards them. She quickly looked them over, and her eyes widened when she realised that Loki's clothes where slightly torn, and a small trail of blood was running down his left temple. "My son!"she gasped and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. "What happened? Are you allright?" She pulled away and cupped his face with both her hands, looking at him with worried eyes.

"I am fine mother. Please do not fret." he told her, and kissed her forehead. Loki loved his mother dearly, she was the one person he could count on to never treat him different from Thor. She loved them both equally.

Thor stepped forward. "We were attacked by two bilgesnipes in the forest" Frigga's eyes widened in horror. "But we were saved by something I have never seen before... What do you now about dragons, mother?"

"A dragon? You saw a dragon?"

Thor nodded.

"Yes. It killed both of the monsters before it dissappeared, it even saved Loki's life. There was something strange about it. I have always been told that dragons are brutal and violent, killing everything in their path, but this one seemed like it was protecting us... And there was something in its eyes, it looked at us like it knew who we were.."

Loki suddenly got lost in thought. He had heard the legends, and did not doubt that they were true, but the bloodline had been broken so long ago, even his father had only been a child when the last one was killed. They had not been seen in Asgard for thousands of years..._  
_

_It cannot be..._

"Maybe it was no real dragon..." he murmured.

Thor turned around to face him.

"What did you say, brother?"

Loki looked to the ground for a few more seconds, before lifting his gaze, too look at Thor.

"Thor, have you ever heard of the Dragonborns?"

* * *

Tharyin landed with a heavy thump, on top of one of the tall cliffs overlooking the great sea. She just stood there for a moment, looking at the setting sun. It was almost completely dark now, but in this body, the darkness was not a problem. She could still se everything clearly

After killing the two bilgesnipes, she had taken of in a hurry, and spent the rest of the day flying over the mountains, thinking, trying to decide what she would do now. There was no doubt that the people of Asgard would soon learn that there was a Dragonborn among them, now that she had anounced herself so spectacularly. But she felt confident that no one suspected her, and she knew that being a Dragonborn, gave her the power to shield herself from Heimdall's gaze, when she wanted. He could not see her. But she still felt uneasy, and it was because she knew she would have to reveal herself soon.

She stretched out her large wings, raised her head and closed her eyes, enjoying the warm feeling that the last rays of sunlight gave her. Drawing in a breath and releasing a sigh, that sounded more like a low growl, she flapped her wings a couple of times, before jumping of the cliff and taking flight, heading for her home. Her grandmother was probably worried sick, by now.

She landed as silently as she could in the forest, not to far away from home. She would walk from here.

She felt her skin tingle, and her body shrink. And then she was just Tharyin again. She closed her eyes, and magiced her favorite, light blue dress on her body. Unfortunately, changing into a large beast, meant that your clothes were destroyed in the process, and left her very naked when she returned to her Asgardian body. But although magic was nothing that came natural to her, she had managed to master a few simple spells, and was able to produce this particular dress onto her body, if she consentrated hard enough.

When she arrived at the old stone house, and opened the front door, her grandmother came running down the stairs from the attic, looking very worried. Time had been kind to the woman. She was very old, but only her dark gray hair, and the few wrinkles on her face, betrayed anything about her age. She was still a beautiful woman, with light blue eyes, and a kind face, and Tharyin had always been secretly hoping that her grandmother would meet a good man, and marry again. She deserved that.

Eri was a good woman, she had always been kind to Tharyin, and had done her very best to give her a good upbringing. She had told her stories about the Dragonborn when she was a little girl, and when Tharyin was old enough, she had told her the meaning behind the mark in her palm. That Tharyin was one of them. She had said that Tharyin would decide for herself wether or not she wanted to reveal herself to the king, and then serve him in battle. Tharyin was, or at least, had been, terrified of fighting. That was what had kept her from going to the king, and announce who she was. She had never battled anything her entire life, not until today.

Killing those monsters had been so easy. Almost too easy. Tharyin wondered how strong she really was... This changed things.

"Tharyin! Where have you been? I was so worried! Hrani came galopping home alone, I thought something terrible had happened to you!" she threw her arms around her granddaughter, and gave her a long hug.

When she released her, she looked at Tharyin expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Tharyin looked to the floor, and thought about her answer. "I...um... I was out in the forest today, hunting. Suddenly I heard roaring and screaming, and the ground started to shake, before I saw six people on horseback trying to outrun two bilgesnipes. Two of the riders were Prince Thor and Prince Loki. I got of Hrani, and ordered him to run home, before I changed and went up in the air, preparing to help if they needed it. Suddenly I saw Prince Loki on the ground, trapped by one of the monsters, and I stopped thinking, and just acted. I dived down and hit the bilgesnipe that was about to kill him, and started fighting it..." Eira went visibly paler as Tharyin spoke.

"I managed to break it's neck, but then the other monster came charging at me. As you know, I am not very used to breathing fire, and have only tried it a few times. But it came so natural, and I burned the ugly beast alive... I didn't stay there for long, I just made sure that none of them were seriously hurt, and then I flew away from there as fast as I could. I have spent the rest of the day flying around, trying to figure out what I should do now..."

Eri nodded, visibly relieved. "And what have you decided?"

Tharyin looked into Eri's kind eyes, and then she smiled. "I know now that I am capable of great things, and I need to learn how to use this gift properly, for the good of this realm. But I need some time, I will reveal my secret when I am ready."

Eri nodded, and told her that she was proud of her and that she understood. She kissed Tharyin on her cheek, and gave her one last hug, before she told her good night, and headed for her bed.

Tharyin was so tired, she could probably fall asleep while standing, but she walked into the stable, to check on her beloved horse. He was standing in his stall, chewing contently on some hay. He raised his head, and gave a soft neigh as she approached him. She stroked his neck, and kissed his forehead. "Good night, my friend. See you tomorrow. I have to help Eira out in the shop, but I promise I will take you out for a ride once I am done. Maybe we will be lucky, and run into Loki".

She smiled as she thought about him. It had only been five days, but she already missed his company. And now that she was determined not to keep her secret for much longer, she could try to get to know him better, if they met again. She had thought about him a lot in the past few days. He was so charming and funny, she found it difficult to understand that he was the same man that you could see standing silently in the shadows whenever his brother was near. From the way he acted when he talked about his family, she could tell that he really loved his father and brother, but he had a different personality. He did not light up a room, and crave attention when he entered. He was silent and shy, and whenever his father and brother were around, his shy demeanor would made him vanish into the dark, where he would stand unnoticed.

But after seeing a bit of who he really was, Tharyin started to like him more and more whenever she thought about him.

Tharyin knew the possibility of something resembling a romance was not likely to happen between them, he was a prince, she was a mere commoner. Even though he was different from his brother, he knew how to talk and make a woman laugh, and he was strikingly handsome, with a voice like velvet, and probably had every beautiful woman in the palace at his disposal. But she hoped she would have the honor of calling him a friend, some day.

With one last pat to Hrani's muscular neck, she went inside, and walked up the stairs to her bedroom, changing into her white nightgown. She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Thor and Loki had spent the rest of the evening talking to their father about what had happened. Odin had wanted to know every detail about the dragon, to try and determine wether or not this was one of the legendary Dragonborns. If it was, then the gene must have survived somehow, laying dormant for thousands of years. Odin had encountered true dragons in the past, and there was nothing good about them, they were as violent as the bilgesnipes and not very bright. He was certain that if this had been a true dragon, the beast would not have hesitated to rip them apart.

He knew that a Dragonborn was able to hide from Heimdall, so the only thing he could do, was wait for this person to come forward of his or her own free will. He told his sons about the birthmark inside the palm of a Dragonborn, the only thing that would give them away, when they were in their Asgardian body.

* * *

Loki made his way to his chambers, his body sore and his head hurting, but he was alive, and thankful for that. He could not shake the feeling that he thought he had seen something familiar in the dragon's eyes, but he could not place his finger on what it was.

Entering his chambers, he undressed and put on some dark, loose pants that he wore in bed. He pulled the covers and furs in his bed aside, and crawled into it. Closing his eyes, he tried to find sleep. But all he could see was the face of the dragon, and the familiar eyes. Soon, the dragons head changed, morphing into a woman with red hair and...ocean blue eyes?

He shot up from bed, his eyes wide as he suddenly remembered why the dragon's eyes were so familiar.

"Tharyin!"


	8. Chapter 7

**New chapter! Sorry for the little delay, I have been very busy lately. Thank you to all new followers, and thank you so much for reviewing! A few spelling/wording mistakes have been pointed out, and I can only say I'm sorry. I live in Norway, so naturally english is not my first language, but I try my best:) The Norwegian-English dictionary is my best friend right now:)**

* * *

Looking up from underneath  
Fractured moonlight on the sea  
Reflections still look the same to me  
As before I went under

And it's peaceful in the deep  
Cathedral where you cannot breathe  
No need to pray no need to speak  
Now I am under all

And it's breaking over me  
A thousand miles down to the sea bed  
Found the place to rest my head  
Never let me go  
Never let me go

And the arms of the ocean are carrying me  
And all this devotion was rushing out of me  
In the crushes of heaven for a sinner like me  
But the arms of the ocean delivered me

**Never Let Me Go - Florence + the Machine**

* * *

_3 days later_

It was early afternoon. The sun had just started to set, bathing the golden city in warm colours. The streets were busy, it's citizens trying to finish their chores for the day, before darkness.

The young prince of Asgard was riding through the streets, people quickly moving away to let him pass, and bowing their heads respectfully as he passed them. He was deep in thought, as he had been the last few days, after realising what Tharyin had been hiding. Because it had to be her, right? He wasn't entierly sure, which was part of the reason he was heading towards her home. To find out.

What if he was right in his suspicions? Should he be angry with her? No. She probably had a good reason for not telling him. Whatever he would learn about her today, it would not change his feelings, of that he was certain. He smiled a little when he admitted to himself, that he was actually starting to grow feelings for her, even though they had only met twice. He was not the kind of man to fall in love easily, but he could se himself falling for this beautiful woman, eventually. She was extraordinary , Dragonborn or not. And if he was to be perfectly honest with himself, he just found his suspicions about her, as a good reason to see her again.

He arrived at the old stone house, where Tharyin lived. It was far from one of the most worn houses in this part of the city, but still, Loki could not help to feel a bit guilty, living in a golden palace, eating from golden plates and having servants that would fill his every need... He had every luxury he could possibly every want.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he dismounted Ari and went over to knock on the door. He waited for a few minutes, but when there was no answer, he carefully walked behind the house, and into a small garden. He could see an elderly woman, Tharyin's grandmother he presumed, standing with her back towards him, in front of a small stone table, it looked like she was washing clothes. He dropped the reins of his horse to the ground, giving Ari the command to stay put, and walked towards the woman. He stopped a few feet away, and cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, my lady"

She wirled around to look at the unfamiliar voice, and her eyes widened in shock when she realised that the youngest prince of Asgard was standing in her garden, adressing her.

"My Lord!" She bowed her head, and lowered her gaze to the ground, not daring to look at him.

"You must be Eri?"

"Yes, yes I am. Have I done something wrong, My Lord? Please, I am just an old lady who owns a dress shop, I mind no ones business, but my own and my granddaughter's. I do not understand what I could have do-"

Loki cut her of.

"Please, my lady, you may call me Loki. No need for such formalities"

Eri raised her head to look at him with a curious expression. "Then may I ask you why you are here?"

Loki smiled warmly at her, he could tell she was related to Tharyin. Her dark grey hair, looked like it may have been red in her earlier days. And although she was starting to show signs of old age, he could see similarities between her and her beautiful granddaughter.

"I am actually looking for your granddaughter, is she here?"

"T-Tharyin? Why yes, she is here. I believe she is behind the stable" she gestured to a small building in the other end of the garden.

"Thank you. I assure you, I am only here to speak with your granddaughter. We have met earlier, and I found my conversations with her to be most pleasant" he gave a slight bow, before turning around to walk behind the stable.

When the dark haired prince was out of sight, Eri smiled slightly and shook her head. "My dear Tharyin, I always knew your beauty would bewitch many young men, but never once would I have imagined one of Asgards princes to fall for you.." Then she turned around, and continued to wash the rest of the clothes.

* * *

Loki rounded the corner of the small stablebuilding, and he saw her immidiately, standing beside a nearby tree, skinning a young buck, probably one she had killed a few hours earlier. She wore the clothes he had seen her in last time, the brown tunic and dark pants, with leather gloves. Her long hair was tied behind her back, in a messy ponytail. Her face was dirty, and her clothes muddy. She had obviously been outside in the forest all day, and she was so occupied with her work, that she didn't see Loki watching her.

He just stood there for a while, watching her work. Then he took out one of his sharp daggers, and approached her.

"Please, Lady Tharyin, allow my to help you with that"

She jumped, and dropped her knife. But then she recognized the voice, and let out a small laugh.

"Loki! You scared me!"

She turned around, and gave him a bright smile. "I did not expect to see you here. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Loki shrugged, and gave a half smile. "I merely wished to see you again. I hope you do not mind me seeking you out personally at your home?"

She laughed, and shook her head. "Of course not! And I would love some help with this buck" she gestured to the half skinned animal hanging from the tree, before she plucked her knife from ground.

Loki nodded, and went over to the buck, starting to cut of the skin. She went to work on the other side of the animal, and so they worked in silence for a few minutes, before she spoke.

"So, what have you been up to since last time? It must be so exciting to live in the palace!"

"You would be surprised how dull it is, my lady."

"Oh? How so? I would assume the life of a prince was full of adventures and fun?"

"For my brother maybe. He has friends in every corner of the palace. I am mostly left on my own, if Thor does not decide to drag me along on a hunt or to the training area. But I actually prefer to sit alone and read, if the alternative is to engage in mindless sparring games with my brother, Sif and The Idiots Tree."

Tharyin giggled, before looking at him again.

"I have heard rumors that you fight with magic rather than weapons?"

There it was... Now he would tell her that he found magic much mure satisfying that wielding a weapon, and she would mock him and say that there was no true honor in that, and disregard him completely, like every other woman had done, when he had told them about his skills.

"Yes, I find magic to be more enjoyable than cleaving an enemy's head with an axe or slicing them in two with a sword... Magic may not be regarded as an honorable way of fighting, but I can assure you, it is highly effective."

Tharyin smiled, and nodded. Then she put her knife down, and walked around the buck, to stand in front of Loki, with a curios look on her face, before she asked him a quiestion no one had ever asked before.

"Could you show me?"

"What?"

"Magic. Could you show me some magic?"

Loki was taken aback, and for a few seconds he just stood there, looking like an idiot, before he realised that this woman was actually asking him to show her his abilities. He smiled at her, and nodded.

"What do you wish to see?"

"You decide! I have some slight experience with easy spells, but I am really easy to impress" she gave him a beaming smile.

Loki laughed, before holding out his right hand, palm up. Suddenly a bright green light started to float above his palm, it stretched and started to twirl around his fingers. Tharyin gasped, and moved closer.

"That is beautiful!" she moved her hand towards his, but hesitated.

"It's alright, touch it if you wish" Loki reassured her.

It felt warm on her hand, comfortable and good. The green flow of light danced around her hand, that was just a couple of inches above Loki's palm.

Tharyin was complete lost in the green light, she did not notice Loki staring at her intently. His green eyes moved over every inch of her face, taking it in, memorizing it.

"What more can you do?" she asked, without taking her eyes from the light.

Loki gently grabbed her gloved hand, trying to ignore the sparks he could feel, when he touched her, and turned it with her palm up, placing his above it, and closed the green light inside their hands. When he removed it, a beautiful rose laid in her palm. She looked at it, and smiled, before looking at him.

"Thank you", she said, barely above a whisper.

"You are very welcome. I have much more to show you, should you wish to see it, but I think I will save it for another time" he said with a mishievous smile. Tharyin only nodded with a half smile, before returning her gaze to the rose, and lifted her other hand, to gently stroke her fingers over it.

It was getting a bit darker now, the warm afternoon light giving her an almost divine look. With her hunting outfit, her wild, red hair and the dirt in her face, she reminded Loki of a Valkyrie.

Suddenly, her expression changed. She looked nervously at him, before she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"I need to show you something... Something that I should have shown you the day we first met." She handed him the rose, before using her left hand to remove the glove on her right. She looked inside her palm, and bit her lip.

"Please don't be angry with me"

Then she stretched out her arm, and turned her palm up so he could see. And there it was, the mark. Looking slightly like a strange burn, but Loki could make out the shape of a dragon. He stepped closer to her, so he was less than an arms length away, and tok her hand in both of his, running his thumb over the mark, and smiled a little to himself.

"So it _was_ you that day, in the forest..."

Her eyes went wide.

"How did you suspect me?"

"Your eyes. There was something familiar with them, I could not place my finger on it, at first, but then I realised that I had only seen eyes like that once before. Yours."

She blushed a little at his words, before she turned serious again.

"I am so sorry for not telling you... I have been afraid to fight, and was scared that if I revealed myself, I would have been forced to fight, and I was so, so scared, and I-"

Loki held up a finger to silence her.

"Tharyin, you saved my life, how could I ever be angry with you?" he looked at her with an honest expression, a kind and reassuring smile on his face.

"Thank you", she whispered.

"What do you wish to do now? Do you want to continue to keep this a secret? If you do, I will give you my word, I will not tell a living soul about it, even though that may be considered treason against my father. He dearly wishes to know who this Dragonborn is".

Tharyin shook her head.

"No, I am ready for Asgard to know. This have been my secret for far too long, I do not wish to carry it any longer. But could I ask that you tell the King, instead of myself doing it? So you can explain to him why I have not told anyone of this, before now? I have a rather annoying habit of letting my tongue run away with me when I am nervous." she gave him an awkward smile.

Loki nodded.

"I will, and I will see you after I have told him, and tell you what he said. He will certainly want to meet you, but I assure you, there is nothing for you to worry about. How about we meet early afternoon, in tree days, in the meadow where we first met?"

Tharyin smiled widely, and nodded happily.

"Sounds perfect to me. And bring your horse, maybe we can take a ride together, if you would like?"

"It would be my pleasure, my lady. I am already looking forward to it. But now I am afraid I will have to leave you, it is getting late, and I told no one where I was going this afternoon. My mother always worries if I am not present at the dinnertable" he gave a small laugh.

"Until next time, my lady."

He brought Tharyin's ungloved hand to his lips, and pressed a kiss to it, his lips lingering longer than necessary, and Tharyin obviously noticed, because when he met her eyes again, she was looking at him with a curious expression, her head sligthly tilted to one side, before giving him a smile and taking a step closer to him. Standing on her toes, she reached up and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek, making Loki's eyes widen in surprise.

"Until next time, My Prince" she whispered, her lips still close to his cheek, before smiling playfully, and turned around to continue working on skinning the buck.

It was a bit of a bold move on her part, but Loki did not mind one bit. He smiled, and started to walk away, praying that his horse was still waiting for him, so he didn't have to walk home.


	9. Chapter 8

**This chapter was hard to write, I kept changing my mind all the time, almost erasing the entire chapter several times to write it again, but I managed to finish it! Hope you enjoy!**

**I listened to "Candleburn" by Dishwalla, while writing most of this chapter. That song is just so beautiful!**

**And I drew a picture of Hrani and Tharyin from this chapter. Trying to post a link on my profile:)**

* * *

"Eri, where is my hairbrush?!"

Tharyin was frantically going through her things, looking for her brush, feeling a slight panic when she couldn't find it. She was going to meet Loki today, and looking anything less than presentable was not an option.

Her grandmother was standing in the doorway to Tharyin's room, with an amused smile on her face.

"Calm down, my love. I am sure it is here. Have you checked the top drawer under your mirror?"

Tharyin facepalmed, before quickly pulling the drawer open, and finding her brush.

"Thank you!"

"You are only going for a ride, why so nervous?"

"I am going for a ride with PRINCE Loki, I have every reason to be nervous! Last time he saw me, I looked like an old hag, full of dirt with leaves in my hair. Today I'm at least going to make an attempt at looking like a woman" she said, while pulling the brush through her wild hair, trying to remove the tangles.

Eri shook her head and smiled.

"You like him"

Tharyin stopped brushing her hair, and looked at her grandmother with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it that obvious?"

"I have known you your entire life, my sweet one. You have never been this nervous about meeting someone. And I know he is royalty, but the way you have spoken of him, and the fact that he actually came here, at your home, to see you, tells me that there may be more than just a friendship in the making here."

Tharyin put her brush down, and looked at herself in the mirror, studying her appearance.

"I am just a girl from the lower part of Asgard, Grandmother. Ordinary, poor... Why would I be of any interest to a prince? Except for the fact that I can turn into a dragon of course..." she smiled a little, and looked back at Eri, before turning her attention back to the redheaded woman in the mirror.

"Do you think he is only wishes to befriend me because of my heritage?"

Eri stepped forward and walked behind Tharyin, running her fingers through the younger womans hair, and kissed the back of her head.

"No, my love, I do not believe that it is so. You are beautiful, intelligent and funny. You have a warm heart, and you always struggle to do what is best for the ones you love. If the young prince has not fallen in love with you yet, it will only be a matter of time before he does. I am certain of it." Eri gave her a wide smile.

Tharyin smiled at her, through the mirror.

"Thank you, Eri. I love you so much, but you know that"

"Mhm, that I do. But now I would suggest you hurry. We do not wish to have the good prince waiting, do we?"

"Oh, by the Norns! I am late! Wish me luck!"

Tharyin turned around, and started to hurry out of the room.

"But my love, what are you going to wear?" Eri eyed her thin, short, white dress.

"It is warmer than an oven outside today! And I am not going to boil alive, by wearing a thick, heavy dress. This is nice enough, and won't overheat me... Goodbye, Eri!" she half shouted, while running down the stairs, and out towards the stable.

* * *

Loki was sitting on his horse, looking over the meadow. The conversation with his father had gone rather good, after he explained how he knew Tharyin. His mother had gone absolutely ecstatic when he told her about Tharyin, and demanded that he brought her to the palace so she could meet this young lady. It was unusual for Loki to befriend women, as he rarely found any of them worth knowing. So when he admitted to Frigga, that this Tharyin was his friend, she had been completely beside herself with joy.

Both his parents had suggested that he brought Tharyin with him to a feast that was to be held in 8 days, it would be a good way to introduce her to everyone, and Loki promised he would do his best to convince her to come.

Suddenly, Ari raised his head and made a soft whinny. Loki cast a glance in the direction his horse was looking, and his heart almost stopped when he saw her.

She was riding at a full galopp across the meadow, bareback, wearing only a short, delicate, white dress, with thin straps over her shoulders. No woman in the palace would wear such a revealing dress in public, but then again, Tharyin was no woman of the court. Loki noticed she was also barefoot. Her long, fire red hair, was floating behind her. Hrani held his tail high, and ran with long, powerful strides. He was a fast horse. They looked like the perfect picture of beauty and freedom.

She waved at him, and beamed a smile, turning Hrani in his direction, and breaking down to a slow trot when she approached.

"I am sorry for being a bit late, hope you have not been waiting very long?"

"Not at all. But I am looking forward to get in the shadow of the trees, it is a bit to hot today"

She laughed.

"Indeed it is, My Prince. I cannot fathom how you have not already died from overheating, wearing those black, heavy clothes." she gestured to the clothes he was wearing. It was the regular black pants, with black tunic and black leather boots.

He only smiled at her and urged Ari forward at a walk.

"Shall we?"

Tharyin smiled and rode in front of him, obviously having already planned a route for their ride.

"I know just where to go on a day like this!" she smiled playfully at him, over her shoulder.

"And on the way, you can tell me everything from your little chat with your father!"

* * *

"Me? At a feast? In the palace? You have got to be jesting?!" Tharyin looked almost scared.

"I am afraid not, both my parents wish to see you, and being as important as you are, means that the whole palace should know about you. A feast where everyone is present, would be an easy way to introduce you to everyone"

Tharyin's jaw opened and closed a few times, and she looked like a fish on land, before she managed to form a coherent sentence.

"B-but I don't have anything nice to wear! And I don't know how to behave or act or anything like that! This is to big for me!"

Loki laughed.

"Absolutely not. I assure you, there is no reason to worry. And I will be there the entire time, so you will at least know one face there. As for clothing, my mother already has the best seamstresses in the palace working on a dress for you. She was rather entusiastic about the idea of me bringing a lady to the feast."

Tharyin looked a bit shocked.

"You don't usually have a woman to accompany you on such occasions?"

"I cannot recall being in the company of a woman during a fine occasion even once, to be perfectly honest with you. My brother has a tendency to steal all the attention." he smiled when he said it, but Tharyin caught the bitterness underneath the words.

"That is strange. I would assume every woman would jump up, at the opportunity of being in your company for an evening"

Loki eyed her, a strange expression on his face.

"And why is that, my dear Tharyin?"

Tharyin blushed, and seemed at a loss of words for a moment.

"I..a..uhm... Well, I believe you to be a very handsome man, beautiful even. And you are polite, and educated. You have a good sence of humor, and you are very intelligent. I just assumed women would get in line for a chance to get close to you.." she was blushing so hard, it would be difficult to separate her face from a tomato, so she wisely closed her mouth, before she embarassed herself further.

Loki looked at her with a soft expression, before his face hardened a bit.

"You are the only woman ever, to say such a thing about me. At least in my presence.."

Tharyin didn't say anything, but gave him a half smile, before looking ahead, and urging Hrani forward into a trot.

"Here we are!" she beamed.

They exited the forest, and stopped their horses. In front of them was a small lake, surrounded by rocks. The water was glittering in the sunlight, and the clear blue sky, reflected in the water, making it look almost magical.

"This place is so beautiful" Tharyin said, mostly to herself, and started to ride along the shore.

She was about to say something, when a flock of birds flew out from the trees. Hrani startled and reared up, causing Tharyin to fly of and into the water. Loki got of Ari in a hurry, and ran to the edge, where she had fallen in. She quickly emerged, and to Loki's surprise she was laughing, while she pulled her wet hair behind her shoulders, and rubbed her hands over her face, to get the water out of her eyes.

"Thank you, Hrani! You did that on purpose! I look like a drenched cat!" she yelled at her horse, while smiling, and then looked to Loki's concerned face.

"This was actually quite refreshing. Care to join me?"

"What? No! I am not getting wet. Come on, give me your hand, let me help you up, before you get cold" he said, while crouching down, and reaching out his hand for her to take.

Tharyin swam towards him, and grabbed his hand, but when he was about to pull her up, an evil grin spread across her beautiful face, and she grabbed hold of his arm with both her hands. Loki sensed what she was about to do, and his eyed widened. He was about to protest, when he felt her pull, and she was a lot stronger than she looked. No doubt because of her Dragonborn blood. She pulled him quickly and effortlessy into the water, he heard her giggle just before his head submerged under the surface.

He quickly got to the surface, and shook his head to get rid of the water, before he turned around and glared at the laughing woman behind him. She had gotten into shallower water, where she was able to stand without going under, the water barely reached over her shoulders. She was leaning her back against the cold rocks, and gave him a wide grin.

He rolled his eyes at her, but started to swim towards her.

"That was not very nice"

She shrugged, and gave him an innocent face.

"You get to drag me along to a scary feast, where I will have to wear a fancy dress and behave nicely" as if that was explanation enough.

He stopped when he could feel rocks beneath his feet, and stood in front of Tharyin, looking at her.

"Are you really so terrified of going? What do you think will happen?"

Her face fell a little, and she looked away.

"I am just a commoner, I don't belong there. I am sure the other women there will whisper and stare... Are you not at all concerned about being seen with me in front of the royalty and people of the court?"

"If the other women whisper and stare, it will be out of jealousy, not out of disgust.."

Tharyin scrunched her eyebrows together.

"What do you mean?"

He moved closer, and put his left hand on the side of her head, to brace himself. The other hand moved up, and brushed away some of the wet hair, that had found it's way into her face, before he stroked one finger delicately down her cheek, and put it under her jaw to raise her head, so she was looking up at him. Their faces were only inches apart, he could feel her warm breath on his face.

She smelled like a fresh ocean breeze and lavender. Her skin was soft and warm, and when he was this close, he could see all the shades of blue in her eyes.

"Have anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he whispered, while stroking his thumb featherlight over her lower lip. Her eyes fluttered closed.

He raised his head a little, and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and moved both hands to cup her face, then a pressed another kiss on her eyebrow, and another one on the side of her mouth. He pulled away slightly, and hesitated a bit, unsure if he should proceed, but she made the decision for him, and quickly put a hand behind his head and pushed him down to meet her lips in a passionate kiss.

Their lips moved together perfectly, the sound of their breathing, and the beating of their hearts were the only sounds they could hear. She felt so good, almost intoxicating, and Loki had to pull away, before he lost control of himself.

He panted slightly, and pressed one last kiss to her lips.

"We should probably get on land, you look like you are starting to freeze.." he said in a low voice, face still close to hers.

She nodded, before she pulled away and looked at him, a small smile on her slightly swollen lips. She too was breathing a bit heavy.

Loki moved to the edge of the lake, and pulled himself up, before turning around and offering her his hand. She took it, and this time she let him pull her up. She stood up, and wrapped her arms around herself. Her white, thin dress was clinging to her wet body, showing of her every curve. She shook slightly from having been in the water too long.

"I think that maybe I should have let you pull me up the first time".

Loki laughed sligthly.

"People really need to learn to listen to me" he said, and snapped his fingers. She gasped, and suddenly she was completely dry, as was he.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic, of course"

"Thank you" she whispered.

"My pleasure" he answered with a smile, before going to fetch their horses, that were now grazing along the edge of the lake. He returned, and gave Hrani's reins to Tharyin.

She smiled, before grabbing hold of the grey stallion's long mane and jumped on his back. Loki mounted his own horse, and they started to ride back home.

Oh, yes, Loki was really looking forward to bringing this woman with him to the palace. Thor would without a doubt turn green with jealousy, when seeing his little brother with a beautiful creature like this. He suddenly felt a pang of anxiety... Tharyin had never met Thor, and past experiences told Loki that the ladies always went for Thor, and cast Loki aside. Surely Tharyin would not do such a thing, not after what they just shared? No, she wouldn't, she was not like that. But still, Loki felt unsure...

He looked at her, she met his gaze and gave him a warm smile.

"Want to race?" she asked playfully. Hrani was allready getting excited, as if he could read her thoughts.

"Only if you promise to not fall of again"

She laughed, and dug her heels in Hrani's sides, causing the horse to explode forward. Ari didn't want to be left behind, so he started after them, even before Loki gave him signal to run. Loki laughed, and suddenly everything felt like it would be allright.


End file.
